# Changing trace or background colour in the QT GUI scope

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/changing-trace-or-background-colour-in-the-qt-gui-scope/231023>\
**Category:** GNU Radio\
**Created:** [July 17, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/changing-trace-or-background-colour-in-the-qt-gui-scope/231023 "2014-07-17T16:52:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![addis\_a](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@addis\_a](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/addis_a)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/changing-trace-or-background-colour-in-the-qt-gui-scope/231023/1 "2014-07-17T16:52:17Z")

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Hello,

Is there a way to change the colour of the trace or background in the QT  
GUI scope?

Thanks,  
John

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**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/changing-trace-or-background-colour-in-the-qt-gui-scope/231023/2 "2014-07-17T17:04:02Z")

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The individual QT Gui sinks have a set\_color() method, and I think that  
might be what you’re looking for.  
Also, for GRC, in recent versions, there’s the “config” tab in the  
property window of e.g. the QT time sink, where you can chouse colors.

Greetings,  
Marcus

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**Author:** ![jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jmaenpaa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jmaenpaa)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/changing-trace-or-background-colour-in-the-qt-gui-scope/231023/3 "2014-07-17T17:43:26Z")

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On Thu, Jul 17, 2014 at 11:02 AM, Marcus Müller  
[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
wrote:

> The individual QT Gui sinks have a set\_color() method, and I think that  
> might be what you’re looking for.  
> Also, for GRC, in recent versions, there’s the “config” tab in the  
> property window of e.g. the QT time sink, where you can chouse colors.
> 
> Greetings,  
> Marcus

Better I think would be to use a QSS file. Take a look at the last  
paragraph on the qtgui manual page:

> **[GNU Radio Manual and C++ API Reference: QT Graphical User Interface](https://www.gnuradio.org/doc/doxygen/page_qtgui.html)**

If you look in $prefix/etc/gnuradio/conf.d/gr-qtgui.conf, you’ll see an  
example of the location of a qss file. There are two defined with GR as  
of  
3.7.4, dark.qss and a slightly modified alt.qss.

Tom